The Masquerade
by Charity LopezFitz3
Summary: The Annual Harmony Masquerade is here, and it is going to be a night to remember! A CharityMiguelKay story, with Tabitha, and an old adversary making everyone's life miserable! This story begins with baby Maria still in the hospital...
1. The Ferris Wheel

Chapter One- The Ferris Wheel:  
  
"Oh look, Miguel! The Ferris Wheel! Can we go, oh please, Miguel?" Charity beseeched. She glanced up towards the gigantic ferris wheel, towering above them, as it's glittering lights flickered in the approaching sunset. Miguel followed her gaze and laughed at Charity's enthusiasm; she knew that he would take her to the ends of the earth if she asked him to. "Sure, Charity, whatever you want!" Miguel responded, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend as she snuggled closer to him. They both stood, staring at the dancing lights as they circled the sky. Miguel interrupted the sight, turning to face his sweetheart. "Do you want something to eat first?" Charity thought about it and then answered "No, but a lemonade would be great, if you don't mind." She playfully toyed with his shirt collar. Miguel laughed and then replied "Mind? Why would I mind? I offered, right?" Charity smiled and took Miguel's arm as they walked over to the nearest refreshment stand, the gleaming, mechanical sphere dancing in the air behind them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ugh... doesn't it just make you sick?!" Kay retorted, watching her cousin leave with Miguel. "I just don't get it, Tabitha. Why her? Why not me, the mother of his child?!" Kay stomped her foot to emphasize her point. Kay had planned to bring Maria to the Carnival with her (to make sure that Miguel didn't run off with Charity), but Dr. Russell had decided that the baby needed to remain in the hospital, at least for another day or so. Tabitha stepped up behind Kay, holding her infant daughter Endora. "Well, Kay, that's probably because you tricked him into bed." Tabitha replied matter-of-factly as she rocked her baby. Tabitha was growing weary of the teen's constant whining, and no longer minded being blunt. Kay folded her arms against her chest at Tabitha's remark. "Don't remind me." Kay pouted, keeping an eye on the object of her affection. But Tabby smirked and continued to remind Kay of her misdeeds: "He thought you were Charity when he made love to you; ha! That must have been a rude awakening..." Kay turned and yelled at Tabitha "That's enough! I get it, okay? He'd rather be with Charity, I understand!" she turned, gazing longingly. Kay sighed, her eyes fighting back tears. "I just don't know how to make him want me, how to make him forget about that little blonde..." Kay's sentence trailed off as she watched Miguel playfully sweep Charity up into his arms and kiss her. Kay sighed again as she watched him carry her lovingly towards the line to the ferris wheel. "I love him so much, Tabitha..." Kay whispered, not necessarily to Tabitha. She leaned against the wall of a game booth, imagining herself in Charity's place, in Miguel's arms. Tabitha shrugged, advancing toward the anguished girl. "Well then, Kay, I guess you just have to keep on trying..." Kay turned around, facing Tabby. "Don't you know any love potions, anything that I can use on Miguel and make him mine? Or even something to get rid of Charity?!" she begged, hoping that the old witch would give in and help her. But to no avail; Tabitha simply replied "Don't you think I would have given it to you by now?" Kay rolled her eyes. 'Hmpf! What good is being a witch if I can't even cast a love spell?' she thought, and with that Kay huffed off towards the ferris wheel line, where Miguel and Charity already stood waiting. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oh, Miguel, do you remember the first time we met? It was at this very carnival!" Charity smiled, reminising as she sipped her lemonade. She had been here with her mom, so many years ago, and as soon as her eyes met Miguel's, Charity knew that it was true love. Miguel threw his arm around her waist as they stood in line for the ferris wheel, pulling her closer to him. "Yeah, I guess that's why the Harmony Masquerade, especially the Masque Carnival, are so special to you, right Charity?" She nodded without taking her eyes off the magnificent ferris wheel. Harmony had just purchased it in order to make sure that this year's masque would be one that nobody would ever forget. Little did they know just how unforgettable it would be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Soon Charity and Miguel were at the front of the line. She lay her head against Miguel's chest as they both gazed upwards at the magnificent ride. "Wow. Have you ever seen anything so grand before? Almost makes you forget about the Masquerade tomorrow night..." Miguel whispered. Charity turned back to him, smiling almost defiantly. "Oh, not even! As wonderful as the carnival is, it's nothing compared to the Masque! I just can't wait until tomorrow night, Miguel, it's going to be so magical..." Charity trailed off, lost in thought. Miguel smiled and gently kissed her forehead. "Next!" the carnie yelled, interrupting their debate. Miguel stepped up towards the empty ride, holding Charity's hand, and turned to help her up onto the platform. Kay, who had been standing behind the couple, trying to ignore their coquetry, saw the opportunity to be with Miguel and snatched at it. "Miguel, WAIT!" she called, pushing her way past Charity and almost knocking her off the platform (had the carnival worker not caught her, Charity would have fallen). Once Kay reached a confused Miguel, she tried to regain her composure and explain her cause. "Um, I think you and I should ride this round, Miguel. You know, so we can talk about....uh, Maria's future..." Kay smiled, as she started to climb into the seat. Miguel tapped Kay's shoulder, trying to get her attention. "Actually, Kay, I promised Charity that we would sit together. You know, this is pretty special for us, being where we met and all..." Miguel smiled as he glanced over to his girlfriend, who stood next to the carnie, dejectedly off to the side. But Charity's disappointment melted away into joy as Miguel once again reached his hand out to help her into the seat. "Are you sure, Miguel? I mean, Kay does want to-" Miguel took both of her hands in his, interrupting Charity. "I made a promise to you, and I'm not going to break it. This is special for us, Charity. Kay and I can talk later." Charity beamed, hugged Miguel, and then let him help her into the seat. Kay stood, gaping at what had just happened. "But, Miguel?!" Kay cried, stomping her foot. Miguel sat down next to Charity as the handlebar came down into place. "I'm sorry, Kay, but like I said, this is special to us. We can talk about Maria's future later, alright?" The ride began to move, and Charity laid her head down on Miguel's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her; the happy couple moved slowly up into the air, smiling, finally together and alone. "Miguel!?" Kay called from below. No answer. "Argh!" Kay yelled in frustration, as she huffed off away from the line and down into the crowd. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. The Gypsy

Chapter Two- The Gypsy:  
  
Kay pushed her way down through the line, blindly trying to get away from everything; from Charity, from the Ferris Wheel, even from Miguel, but mostly from herself. She hated competing for the man that she loves, hated trying to get his attention away from her cousin. She fought back tears, trying to block everything out, but she just couldn't. "I hate her! Why can't she just leave him alone, let Miguel be with his daughter, and the mother of his baby?! If she wasn't around, Miguel would be with me right now, up on that Ferris Wheel..." Kay ranted as she pushed her way past the crowd.   
  
Kay propelled herself through the masses, ignoring the annoyed citizens whom she forced out of the way. Finally the crowd ended, leaving Kay at the edge of the carnival. She rushed out into a clearing, speckled with merchant tents, carnival booths, and entertainers. Kay sighed as she slowly passed a dreary awning. She leaned against a small, abandoned table, and finally gave in to the swirling emotions in her head.   
  
"Oh Miguel, why can't I be the girl you love? Why does it have to be... Charity?" Kay looked down at the ground and kicked aside an old lemonade cup, remembering her cousin. She turned back to face the gigantic ferris wheel, spinning majestically in the sky, and envied Charity, knowing that at this very moment, she was the one up there with Miguel. "Sometimes I wish she would just- just... disappear." Kay mumbled. "Well now, that's quite a request..." a voice answered from within the tent.  
  
Kay turned, seeing a dark figure standing in the entrance to the marquee. They figure stood, arms crossed, mimicing Kay's stance, as she leaned up against a tent pole. The figure snickered silently. "But it doesn't seem too arduous a task, my friend..." Kay stepped forward, trying to see who had spoken to her, who had overheard her bewailment. The woman snickered again and stepped into the light, giving Kay a better view of the stranger. She was a tall, dark woman, clothed in gypsy garb with purple lace gloves. "Aren't you the- the Fortune Teller?" Kay stammered, still puzzled by the interloper's sudden arrival. The woman smirked and turned towards the entrance, slowly advancing inside. "For tonight, I am." she replied mysteriously, once more disappearing into the tent.  
  
Kay followed, spellbound by the strange gypsy. Pulling the curtain door open, Kay glanced inside; the interior of the tent was lit with a soft, dull light, and decorated with various sortilege: numerous spell books, tarot cards, and so on. But the main focus in the room was a crystal ball, mounted on a small table in the center of the room. Kay slowly approached it, watching as it filled with blue smoke. Figures slowly began to dance amid the smoke. Kay leaned closer, hypnotized by the amazing spectacle. The hazy characters pranced around behind the glass, oblivious to the outside world. Suddenly, the blue began to fade into an ominous orange flame, slowly advancing upon the unsuspecting figures. The flames grew, twisting around the perimeter of the crystal ball, surrounding the dancing figures, progressing towards them, slowly, slowly, waiting to pounce and consume them. Instantly, the gypsy threw a dark cloth over the crystal ball, completely blocking out the spectacle that Kay had been observing. "Hey, I was-" The woman laughed, interrupting the girl. "You wouldn't want to ruin the ending, now would you?" the gypsy asked, mysteriously. A puzzled Kay glanced back towards the covered crystal, wondering if the poor people inside fell victim to the fire.  
  
"Come, my dear, this way..." the woman called out, bringing Kay back to reality. She followed the gypsy, still wondering what she had meant by 'making Charity disappear wouldn't be too arduous a task...'. 'Ah, she probably misunderstood. That's it, Kay, she misunderstood, and this is all just some ploy to get tourists and customers...' Kay assured herself, still following the dark woman further into the depths of the tent. 'But still, there was the crystal ball; those images haunted Kay. They were too real, too human, to just be another carnival trick.' her mind argued once more. 'And just how big is this place anyways?!' Kay remembered the tent being rather small, but the had been travelling deeper and deeper into the interior. Finally, Kay decided to break the silence. "Um, ma'am? Where exactly are we going?" The woman continued to walk, silently.   
  
Kay was about to repeat herself when a light suddenly appeared in front of them, nearly blinding Kay. She threw her arms up in front of her face to shield her eyes. When she lowered them, Kay found herself in an old room, huge, with stone walls and a large fire burning in the center of the room. There were tapestries hanging on the walls, all of them worn, and a shelf filled with bottles containing various liquids. "Wh- where am I?" Kay asked, still taking in her surroundings. The woman approached Kay from behind, tapping her on the shoulder. Kay whipped around and faced the woman, who had changed from her dreary gypsy garb into a long black dress and cloak, with a matching pair of black gloves. She smiled softly, but the look sent chills down Kay's spine. "Why, Kay, you are in my humble home." 


	3. Circe

Chapter 3: Circe  
  
"Wh- what do you mean? Who are you?" Kay demanded of the stranger who stood in front of her. The woman simply laughed at Kay's brave front. "Well, my dear Kay, I am your wish come true." she replied mysteriously, turning back towards the fire in the center of the dark chamber. Kay gazed at her suspiciously. "How do you know my name?" The woman turned to face Kay once more, the flames casting shadows, dancing across her brow. "I know much more than that, dear, much more!"   
  
Kay sighed and slowly approached the dark woman. "What do you know?" she asked, not completely sure that she wanted to know the answer. The stranger stared deeply into Kay's eyes, piercing her soul. Her words seemed to echo throughout Kay's entire being, reverberating throughout her body like a deep baritone bell. "I know that you're in love with Miguel. And that you'd do anything to have him." The woman narrowed her eyes, the flames reflecting onto Kay's own, and smiled diabolically. Kay returned her stare, and answered her comment. "Then you should know that I have already tried everything. I even had the man's baby, for crying out loud!" Kay turned away, tears welling up inside of her as she remembered her failed attempts to win Miguel's heart. "But no matter what I do, he's always been in love with Charity, my cousin." The woman frowned, a mocking frown emulating Kay's self-pity. She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder, leaning in closer. "Oh, poor child. You had to learn the hard way that seducing a man may give you his body-" the woman uttered softly, holding her gloved hand in front of her, palm flat; suddenly, in her palm, a man's smoky blue form appeared, holding a woman's figure closely, embracing her firmly, sensually. "-but not his heart." The figure melted away, leaving the woman's form desolate and alone. The stranger closed her hand, engulfing the poor smoky form, before it vanished completely.   
  
Kay turned to face the woman, awestruck by the spectacle. "How did you-" The stranger cast her hands outward, shooting sparks towards the floor. "Mere parlor tricks, I can assure you. And that's not what you've come for, is it my dear? Ha, you get enough magic tricks living with that... so-called witch, Tabitha!" The woman's face contorted at the name. She turned to face Kay, her rage evident, then slowly returned to a calm serenity. The woman stepped forward once more. "Oh, how rude of me, I still haven't even introduced myself. My name is Circe, and I am about to make all of your troubles vanish...."   
  
"Hmpf, good luck with that." Kay replied, folding her arms, suddenly skeptical. "All my troubles can be summed up into one word; Charity. And that girl is indestructible!" Kay pouted, thinking upon all of her failed schemes to rid her -and Miguel- of that blonde princess. Circe crossed the room slowly, her back facing Kay. "Hahahaha! Oh my dear, I don't need luck; I'm a witch!" she retorted as she sat in a large, dark, and heavily cushioned chair, and motioned for her guest to join her. Kay walked past the huge fire that burned eerily in the center of the room, it's flames seeming to grab at Kay as she passed, and took her seat next to the witch. "You're a ... a witch?" Kay asked, not that she was surprised. Circe ignored the girl's obvious comment. She gestured with a gloved hand and a silver tray holding two goblets appeared. "Drink?" she offered; Kay quickly rejected the beverage. Circe rolled her eyes. "Please, Kay, I'm not going to drug you. It's just wine..." Using her free hand, Circe twirled her fingers, making the glass lift from it's position and float towards Kay. The girl slowly took the drink, still amazed by Circe's casual wizardry.  
  
"Now that we're comfortable..." Circe smiled, sipping wine from the cup gingerly positioned in her gloved hand. "You were saying, Kay? Something to the effect of 'I wish Charity would just disappear'..." 


	4. The Price

Chapter 4: The Price  
  
Kay sits back in her chair, gazing thoughtfully at Circe. "I was, um... just saying that...sigh" Kay started, not fully sure whether or not she should trust this woman; after all, she had thought that she could trust Hecuba, and look how that turned out! Circe seemed to understand what her guest was thinking: "Kay, you can confide in me, dear. I'm not trying to trick you, I'm trying to help you!" the witch smiled pleasantly. Kay sighed again, and finally vented all of her frustrations vocally. "I- I'm in love with Miguel, but he won't leave my cousin Charity long enough to see it! I mean, I've told him, and we made love, and I even had his baby, but he still insists that Charity is the woman he loves, not me! I hate her so much! I have tried everything to get rid of her, everything! But she's, she's got some special 'powers of goodness' or whatever, that seem to always get in the way, and nothing I do can get rid of her..." Kay felt so relieved after her little outburst of emotions, as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Nobody at home wanted to hear her side of the story, and now she finally had someone to listen to her. She watched the woman opposite of her, waiting to see her reaction. But Circe didn't move.  
  
"So, is there anything you can do to help me?" Kay asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence surrounding the room. A smile slowly crossed the witch's face, and she answered simply: "We must dispose of this- Charity...." Kay rolled her eyes at the statement. "Obviously you weren't even listening to what I said; I've already tried everything! There's no getting rid of that girl!" Circe stood slowly, her devious smile lingering on her blood red lips. "My dear Kay, I have been in this business for centuries. I have my ways, and I can promise you, they have yet fail."   
  
Kay was suddenly filled with hope; maybe she was telling the truth, maybe Circe could finally do what she herself had never been able to. She looked to the witch once more, her eyes glittering with potential glee. "They- they've never failed?" she asked, hoping that she wasn't about to embark on another empty promise. Circe smiled gently, softening her sharp features. "Never."  
  
Kay smiled brightly. She was finally going to get everything she had ever wanted! "Alright, okay, please, get rid of her! I want Charity gone, and I want her gone for good!" she implored the woman standing before her. Circe's smile faded into a more neutral expression. "But, my dear, like all good things in life, my help will cost you..." Circe replied, turning her back to the girl and crossing back towards the immense fire. "Oh, I'll pay anything, anything you want!" Kay brushed off the comment, answering quickly. Circe turned her gaze to meet Kay's, her body still facing the inferno blazing in the center of the grand room. "Anything?" she asked, a fiendish sneer developing.   
  
Kay was about to answer when she remembered her last deal with the witch Hecuba. She carefully stalled for a second. "Do- do you want my- my soul?" she asked gingerly. Circe threw her head back in baneful laughter. "Your soul?! Oh, my dear Kay, you amuse me so." the witch turned back to the girl, placing a gloved hand on Kay's shoulder. "That soul of yours is corrupt; it's worth about as much to me as the dirt you're standing on! No, my dear, my help is worth much, much more than your measly little soul..." Kay stepped back, insulted. "How dare you! My soul is worth just as much as the next person's! I may have, in the past, been-" she started, but seeing that this conversation was getting her nowhere, Kay halted mid-sentence. She sighed once more. "Then what? What do I have that's worth more than my soul?" Circe removed her hand from Kay's shoulder and brought both palms together in front of her; there was a bright flash of blue light. She slowly removed them, holding an incandescent orb in the empty space. The sphere glowed softly, a gentle blue light radiating from within. Kay stepped closer and peered inside; the image of a cradle slowly appeared. Circe smiled licentiously. "What's worth more to me than your soul? Why, your child, my dear. Your baby...."  
  
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	5. A Catch

Chapter 5: A Catch  
  
Kay stepped back, appalled by Circe's price. "You want Maria?! How- how dare you! How dare you even, even MAKE such a request! No, never! You can't have my daughter!" she screamed, both angry and terrified; what kind of person would want to separate a mother from her child? The witch simply smiled. "But my dear, nobody would know... I could make it look as though your baby died. Not only would you look blameless in this scheme, but Miguel would feel guilty for not paying enough attention to his child- and he would also need comforting.... And meanwhile, I could deal with this, this Charity girl." Circe winked at Kay, who simply gasped. Kay turned away from the witch, tears forming in her eyes. 'I finally have the chance to have everything I've ever dreamed of, but the cost... is my innocent child?' she thought, trying to regain her composure.   
  
She turned to face Circe once more. "You- you want me to kill, my own daughter?" she asked, wondering what the witch's motives were. Circe laughed mirthfully, as if Kay had just told her some sort of sick joke. "Oh, dear, of course not! What good is a dead baby to me? Why, I'd be better off taking your soul!" she retorted, laughing once more at her own quip. Kay blushed, not from embarrassment, but from impatience and anger. "Then what?! Why do you want to take my only child away from me?"  
  
The witch stepped closer, cupping Kay's face in her gloved hand. "I have long been doing my task, traveling around the world, making deals with mortals to give them their fondest dreams... And I have completed these many tasks alone. But I am growing older, and I need someone's help- an apprentice, if you may. Maria, your daughter, would be perfect."  
  
Kay steps backwards, out of Circe's grasp, and shakes her head. "No. You can't have her, forget the deal! I- I won't let you take my daughter." she says quietly, though fervently. Kay winces, half expecting the witch's wrath, but nothing happens; the room is still. Finally, Circe shrugs and turns away, returning to the grand flame in the middle of the chamber. "Oh well, too bad. I mean, if you are going to lose your daughter anyway, I just thought you might want to get something out of it, but it's your call, Kay..." she replied mysteriously.  
  
Kay had turned to leave the witch's chamber, but upon listening, she suddenly froze. She whipped around to face the woman, anxious to find out what she had meant. "What do you mean, if I'm going to lose her anyway? What are you going to do to my baby?!" Kay grabbed Circe's cloak, imploring her. Suddenly the witch threw her arms up, casting Kay aside, and throwing a dark blue light across the room, emblazing brilliance even on the steady-burning fire. She turned her glowing eyes to Kay, who lay sprawled on the ground. "How dare you lay hand on me! I have a mind to show you your place...." she shouted, her voice echoing, making it louder still. Kay sat shivering in the corner, fearing for her life. Then, as instantly as she had changed, Circe reverted back to her former self. She drew closer to Kay, and extended a gloved hand to help her up. Fearing that she might anger the witch once more if she refused, Kay took her hand and stood.   
  
  
  
Circe smiled once more. "Good then. Now, let me set you straight, my dear: I will not 'kill' your baby, I have no intentions to do so regardless of the turnout of our little deal. But your child will die if she is left in the mortal world. She's not strong enough, and doctors will be at loss on how to help her. She will slowly wilt away, like an early flower." Circe stepped behind Kay, placing an arm around her shoulder, and leaning in close to her ear. "And then Miguel will be free to marry Charity, with nothing left to hold him back..." Kay's fists tightened as she fought back more tears. "So, either way, I'm going to lose my baby?" she questioned, not moving; Kay wasn't sure if she could move, even if she tried. Circe nodded, her frowning expression mocking Kay's own. "I'm afraid so, dear. But if you let me help you, your child will not die." Circe brought her hand out in front of Kay, opening it slowly to reveal the smoky image of a cradle; a hazy figure leaned down and plucked an infant from the cradle, carrying the child in her arms. "She will live forever, as my apprentice...." The woman released the baby in her arms, who quickly grew, changing, until the infant was a young girl, twirling merrily in a summer dress. Kay watched the vaporous images dancing before her eyes, a tear slowly falling down her cheek, and another chasing after it. She reached for the pirouetting form, listening to her child's cheerful laughter, and touched the image; it vanished in her hand. Circe slowly closed her open palm and sighed. "Of course, if she remains with you, she won't live to see her first birthday..."  
  
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	6. The Deal is Made

Chapter 6: The Deal is Made  
  
Kay wiped the tears from her eyes. "So young, so very... young..." she said, the image of a young Maria still dancing in her mind. Circe's gloved grip tightened on her shoulder, making Kay wince. "So, my dear..." she asked, leaning in closely, her red lips whispering in the girl's ear. "Do we have a deal?"  
  
Kay turned to face the witch. Her lip quivered as she tried to speak. "So, my baby will survive, and- and I'll get Miguel?" Circe smiled deviously, a smile that Kay was not entirely sure she could trust. But if it was the only chance she had to save her daughter- and the only chance she had to be with Miguel- she decided that she had no choice but to put her faith in the witch.  
  
"Alright." she replied simply. Circe raised a hand to her ear, indicating, with that same mocking smile, that she had not quite heard Kay's answer. "Alright. I agree. I'll make the deal to get rid of Charity." she answered louder. The woman smiled and brought her palms together in a bright burst of blue light; a scroll was produced from the flash. Circe pulled a feathered quill pen from the air. Kay reached for it, but the witch moved her hand out her reach. Kay's quizzical expression brought a smile to Circe's lips. "No, Kay, this isn't your average contract..." She answered, twirling the quill in her fingers; suddenly it became sharper, a blade rather than a pen. She handed the amended utensil to the girl. "You sign in blood."  
  
Kay glanced down at the feathered dagger she held in her hand. She had always had a fear of knives, ever since she was a child. Never-the-less, she took a deep breath and moved the blade closer to her fingertip. "Okay, okay.... it's for Maria and Miguel.... to get rid of Charity... for them, for... my family.." she chanted, trying to give herself courage for the act. Kay carefully brought the edge upon the flesh of her index finger; she bit her lip and pushed the blade down, cutting the pad of her finger diagonally. The blood began to drip from her self-inflicted wound. Kay glanced upwards, her eyes meeting the witch's own. Circe held the scroll open, a line with an X at the bottom, indicating where Kay should sign. "Sh-shouldn't I re-read it first?" she stammered, suddenly remembering her father telling her, on her 18th birthday, to 'never sign anything that you haven't read first'. Kay suddenly wanted to be with her father very badly; he always knew what to do in bad situations. Circe shrugged. "Feel free. Just don't take too long, my dear... that wound won't hold out for long, and you wouldn't want to lose too much blood, now would you?" she smiled sweetly, despite her menacing comment.  
  
Kay read as quickly as she could, as she became increasingly dizzier and more light-headed. "I...Kay, hearby.... grant the... the witch, Circe..... to take.... possession of my... my daughter, Ma-Maria... in... in return for... ridding me of.... of Charity, Miguel's... love interest." Kay tried to read aloud, as she glanced down at her finger; it was dripping blood much quicker than she had thought, as a small puddle of blood now formed at her feet. Kay returned her eyes to the scroll, found the indicated line, and shakily touched her finger to the paper. "There..." Circe purred, as the bloodstain on the scroll slowly warped into Kay's signature. Kay clasped her eyes together tightly, and then opened them once more. She turned her gaze back to her finger; there was no blood, no cut, nor any evidence of a wound. The blood on the ground had even vanished.  
  
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	7. Mixing the Brew

Chapter 7: Mixing the Brew  
  
Kay stood staring, disbelieving, at the contract. 'I just sold my daughter's life... for a guy...' she thought, suddenly disgusted with herself. As if reading her mind, Circe made a face; an oh-poor-pitiful me expression danced mockingly on the witch's lips. "Don't worry, dear, you've made the right decision..." she began, turning away from the girl to put away the scroll. As she opened a dark chest hidden in the corner, she gently deposited it inside. "It was either this-" Circe shut the lid, sending a resonating clamor throughout the chamber. She turned to face Kay from her position, continuing her statement. "-or watch your child die and lose the man you love..."   
  
Kay inhaled deeply, slowly breathing out. She looked up, her eyes connecting with Circe's. "Do you even know how to care for a child?" she asked, the typical motherly concern seeming pointless. The sorceress scoffed at the question. "Believe me, my dear, I won't be in charge of your child until she reaches an age more reasonable for my purposes..." Circe seemed distracted, sifting through a shelf full of archaic, dusty books. Kay pressed on. "How, exactly, are you going to manage that?" The witch huffed, annoyed by the girl's pestering. Without turning, she answered the question proposed to her, trying to keep her cool. "I'm going to send her away to the witch's-equivalent of a boarding school; Maria will learn the basic fundamentals of witchcraft while in their care. And when she is of age, I will summon her and teach her all I know..."  
  
Kay tried to smile, glad at least that her daughter would have a promising future, even if it did revolve around evil- and didn't include her. Kay watched as Circe continued to filter through her collection of tomes; finally the woman found whatever she was looking for. She smiled as she removed the text from it's place- she removed a glove and waved her naked hand over the book. Suddenly, as Kay observed, the cover flew open and pages whipped about, as if the book itself was searching for something within. The motion soon halted, and Circe skimmed through the document. She crossed the room, not removing her eyes from the matter at hand, and struck the air violently with her unclothed palm; instantly, a cauldron appeared, hanging over the vast fire. She once more cast her hand towards the appearance, and miraculously, it began to boil, an alien elixir within.  
  
Keeping one eye on the book, the witch began summoning vials and jars, filled with extraordinary contents. They emptied themselves into the brew as Kay watched, fascinated. She whispered "What is this-?", her sentence trailing off. Circe answered with a cackle: "Why, this is what you have been waiting for, my dear! The answer to all of your problems!!" 


End file.
